


Souls

by Fantasy_Addict



Series: Soul Mates [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Accidental Marriage, Awkwardness, Bonding, Dance lesson, Dom/sub Undertones, Don't Judge Me, Don't Like Don't Read, Eventual Relationships, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, I abuse cliffhangers, I'm Sorry, I'm a sucker for happy endings, Keith (Voltron) Needs a Hug, Keith Has Nightmares (Voltron), Kidnapping, Kissing, Light Angst, Light Torture, M/M, Morning Cuddles, Mutual Pining, Pain, Pidge is grossed out by their love, Rescue, Safe at last, Sassy Pidge | Katie Holt, Science Experiments, Sleep Deprivation, Slow Burn, Soft Keith/Lance (Voltron), Soulmates, Suspense, Sweet Lance (Voltron), These boys need all the hugs, Wedding Planning, Weddings, Withheld food, Worried Paladins, bonding moment, very light
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:41:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 16,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22773535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fantasy_Addict/pseuds/Fantasy_Addict
Summary: The Paladins land on a planet where the inhabitants can sense a person's soul.  When Keith and Lance are told that they are fated "soulmates".....it can only end well.....(I can't help myself, I love these boys.)
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Soul Mates [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2074053
Comments: 81
Kudos: 313





	1. Chapter 1

Lance didn’t know how they ended up in this situation. He really had no clue. One minute, they were saving a planet. Then the next, he’s forced to marry Keith.

Well, actually what happened was a little more complex. Voltron had been called to save this planet called Tyranny. Lance thought it a strange name, considering the aliens on it were quite friendly and had a monarchy system of government. They defeated all of the invading Galra, after a very long and tiresome battle, and were now being welcomed into the palace.

Lance was chatting with Hunk about what kinds of food they would have on the planet, when something brushed against his upper arm. He turned to see Keith walking passed him, trying to squeeze between the wall and Lance without touching either. Clearly, that hadn’t worked. Lance would never admit it, but that little touch sent electricity shooting up his spine.

“Watch it, Mullet,” Lance said, turning back to Hunk. He heard Keith scoff. Hunk gave him a knowing look, but didn’t comment on the interaction between his teammates. Lance tried to pay attention to what Hunk was saying, but now he was just too ticked off. Hunk seemed to grasp that and went to talk to Pidge, leaving Lance to himself. Lance really wished Hunk would have kept talking. Because now he was staring daggers at the back of Keith’s head. At the back of Keith’s stupidly pretty mullet, to broad shoulders and strong arms that could easily bench press Lance.

Lance suddenly blushed, realizing he was starting to check out his teammate. He quickly started looking at his surroundings, at anything to avoid looking at Keith again. He would never admit it outloud (especially to Keith) but he may have had a small crush on the Red Paladin. Lance willed his blush to die as Keith turned back to look at him.

“You coming?” he deadpanned. Lance realized he had stopped walking.

“Oh, uh yeah!” Lance said, quickly walking past Keith.

They entered the throne room, where the King and his daughter sat waiting. As they approached, the King stood.

“Welcome!” he boomed. He gave the Paladins a warm grin. Lance took in the King’s appearance. He was tall, towering over Shiro easily, with light, candy pink hair cascading around his shoulders. His full beard was the same light pink. His skin color was a light purple, finishing off the candy feel. His eyes however were a bright gold. “I am King Manonned. This is my daughter, the priestess Kaaliee.” Lance’s eyes moved to the girl. She had the same light pink hair and gold eyes, but her skin was a light candy blue.

“Thank you for the warm welcome,” Allura said, easily stepping into the role of diplomat. “I am Princess Allura of Altea. These are the Paladins of Voltron. The Black Paladin, Shiro, the Green Paladin, Pidge, the Yellow Paladin, Hunk, the Red Paladin, Keith, and the Blue Paladin, Lance.” Each of the Paladins reacted in some way when Allura said their names. The King’s smile never faltered the whole time.

“I’m sorry,” Pidge suddenly said. “But why is your daughter the priestess and not a princess?” King Manonned and Kaaliee laughed.

“Forgive us,” he said. “But on our planet, women are not allowed to rule. Kaaliee holds the highest position of power for her gender. It is a very honored position as well. And of course, we respect the position your Princess holds, her status equalling mine.” Pidge nodded in understanding.

“Please,” Kaaliee said. “You all look tired. We have prepared rooms for you to stay in and prepare for the evening festivities.”

“That is very kind,” Allura said. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

“No, thank you for saving our planet,” King Manonned said. With that, palace servants appeared and whisked each of the Paladins away. Lance noticed that they were taken away in twos. Hunk and Pidge went down one hallway, Shiro and Allura down another. That left Lance and Keith to be lead down the last hallway. Keith glanced over at him.

“You okay?” he asked, noticing Lance wouldn’t look at him.

“I’m fine,” Lance said. But he still wouldn’t look at him. Finally they stopped in front of two doors.

“These are conjoining rooms,” the servant leading them said. “Still separated for privacy, but we assumed this would make it easier to communicate if something were to happen.”

“Oh, uh, ok,” Keith said. Lance rolled his eyes.

“What Mullet is trying to say is that’s thoughtful,” he said. He knew Keith was glaring at him, but Lance kept his eyes on the light orange-skinned, candy green-haired servant. The servant smiled.

“Your welcome,” they said. They left the boys to go through their separate doors, still not looking at one another. And then they found out what a “conjoining room” meant on this planet. It was like one room, with a thick and heavy purple curtain running right down the middle. Lance pushed it aside in the middle.

“Well,” Lance said, spotting Keith still standing in the doorway. “We certainly won’t have any communication issues.” Keith finally looked at him.

“Shut up,” Keith mumbled, walking over to pull the curtains closed again. Lance was stunned, but not because of the way Keith acted. It was because he could have sworn Keith was blushing. Why would he be blushing? Lance shrugged and walked over to the bed, where he noticed some new clothes neatly folded. He held them up to inspect them.

“Wow,” Lance said.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because I'm impatient and really want to get to the other Paladins' outfits.😂

He was holding the softest fabric he had ever felt before. It was a sky blue shirt with a low cut v-neck ending in about the middle of his sternum. The shirt sleeves were like a cross between a tank top and a t-shirt, just barely enough to cover his shoulders. It looked like it would be snug, but not tight enough to be uncomfortable. Next, Lance picked up the pants. They looked like leggings, but a dark, royal blue. There were little diamond cutouts along the outside of the legs, going from hip to ankle. Next to the pile of super soft cloth were a few gold pieces of jewelry. There were two gold bands that looked like they went around Lance’s forearms, a simple gold chain for around his neck, and two gold rings for his fingers. Lastly, there were a pair of sky blue, slipper looking shoes.

Lance put the outfit on, loving the way it looked on him and brought out his eyes. He only knew that last one because he looked in the full-length mirror in the bathroom.

“Lance?” Keith called from his side of the curtain. Lance poked his head out of the bathroom.

“Yeah?” he asked. Keith pulled the curtain aside, just enough for him to peek through.

“Are you dressed?” he asked. Lance nodded, confused. Keith sighed. “Can you, uh….help me?” Lance’s eyes widened.

“What?” he asked, genuinely confused. His clothes had been so easy to get on, how were Keith’s any different?

“I need help,” he repeated, more annoyed this time. Lance shrugged and walked over to Keith’s side of the curtain. Keith scowled as Lance came over.

“Now what?” Lance huffed.  
“You got a real shirt,” Keith mumbled. Lance frowned.

“What did you get?” he asked, just finally noticing that Keith was only half dressed. He had pants on, but no shirt. He also wore the slipper-like shoes, but in deep red. The pants looked like they were made of the softest red silk, settling around Keith’s hips, before billowing out around his legs to clasp around his ankles. A huge slit was cut into the outside of each pant leg, revealing pale thighs when he walked. Keith pointed to the bed.

“See for yourself,” he said, moodily. Lance walked over and picked up what looked like eight pieces of the same soft red silk, held together by gold chains.

“This is it?” Lance asked, looking back at Keith, who nodded, a blush creeping onto his face.

“Unfortunately,” he said. “And I can’t figure out how to get it on.” Lance sighed.

“Okay,” he said. “Hold your arms out to the side.” Keith’s blush remained firmly in place, but he did as Lance asked. Lance took the thickest chain and pulled it over Keith’s head, then his shoulders, and finally settling it at his waist. Lance tried not to brush his fingers against Keith’s skin, but it was a lost cause. He swore he felt Keith’s breath hitch when Lance settled the chain on his waist.

Next, Lance pulled Keith’s arms through the “sleeves”. Two large gold hoops sat on his shoulders, bringing the four biggest pieces of cloth up, two in front and two in back. They created the deepest v-neck Lance had ever seen, also leaving the sides completely open. Lastly, the smaller pieces encircled Keith’s arms, connecting again at his wrists. Lance pulled back.

“Thanks,” Keith said, still blushing. Lance thought that was a cute look on him. WAIT! NOT CUTE! GAH! Lance yelled mentally.

“No problem,” Lance said aloud. Keith gave a small nod and walked over to the small pile of gold jewelry Lance hadn’t noticed before. He watched as Keith held up a thick gold band and attached it around his throat. Next, two large, gold hoops were placed in his ears, and two small, gold rings went on his fingers.

“I look ridiculous,” Keith grumbled, glancing at himself in the full length mirror off to his right. Lance simply stood there at a loss for words. He disagreed. “What?” Keith asked, turning back to Lance, who blushed as he realized he had spoken aloud.

“You look amazing,” Lance said. Now Keith was blushing.

“No, I look like some girl from a raunchy romance movie,” he said bitterly. Lance laughed.

“Ok, sure Samurai,” he said. “Come on, we gotta go.” With that, Lance walked back over to his side of the curtain. He caught Keith Pulling his hair up into a small ponytail, just as the curtain swished shut, hiding his fellow Paladin from view once more. Lance allowed himself to blush furiously for a moment. He has no right being that good looking, he thought. He quickly reigned in his blush as he walked out the door, not bothering to look back to see if Keith followed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, there is a reason for Keith's outfit being VERY different from Lance's. I actually got the idea from another fanfic I read. Can't remember the name though.....*sigh*


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The other outfits! Couldn't wait to post this. Oh, and Keith and Lance find out they're "fated"..... this'll be fun.

Lance made his way back to the throne room, where he saw the other Paladins and Allura waiting. He took in their own clothes.

Shiro was given a shirt that had one long sleeve covering his human arm, no sleeve on his Galra one. The shirt was a crew neck cut, fitting nicely on him, but didn’t seem too tight. He had also been given black leggings, with the diamond pattern Lance had. His feet were clad in the same soft slippers, but in black. A gold bracelet went around his human wrist, along with a gold ring on his middle finger.

Hunk was given a loose, light yellow shirt that looked super comfy. It had short sleeves and a small v-neck cut. Darker yellow leggings with a lighter swirl design clad his legs, the slippers on his feet a soft yellow color as well. His usual orange hair scarf/band was replaced with a yellow one, and two gold bracelets adorned his wrists, along with a long gold chain around his neck.

Pidge was the most surprising, Lance thought. She had been given a short, light green romper, the sleeves sitting around her forearms instead on her shoulders. A dark green rope belt went around her waist and her dark green slippers gave her an elfin look. Even her nails were painted a light green, something Lance had never seen on the younger girl and didn’t know when she had found the time to do so. A gold barrett was placed in her hair, while delicate gold bracelets adorned her wrists and a gold necklace went around her throat in a choker style. Her glasses completed the whole look.

Allura was the most stunning with a soft, light pink, floor-length dress. It had white swirl patterns running all around the skirt, the pink staying solid on top. The sleeves were full-length, a little extra creating loops to go around her middle fingers. Lance couldn’t tell, but he guessed she had matching pink slippers on her feet. Dangling from her wrists were several golden bracelets, along with a delicate gold necklace and gold earrings to replace her usual blue ones. Her long white hair had been braided, adorned with pink and white flowers, a gold ribbon woven into it. Even her tiara that she normally wore matched.

Lance thought they all looked stunning. He was broken out of his thoughts and observations however, when a certain Red Paladin brushed past him.

“You gonna stand there all day, Lance?” Keith asked, going to stand by Shiro. Lance blinked, then headed over to the others. He noticed that Keith kept his arms crossed and stuck close to Shiro’s side, which Lance felt an odd twinge of jealousy at. He lightly shook his head to clear his thoughts.

“We are stunning,” Lance said, pointing finger guns at Allura. “Especially you, Princess.”

“Thank you, Lance,” she said, a light pink settling next to her pink Altean marks. Lance beamed.

“Seriously, I’d say we are the hottest defenders of the universe,” he said.

“Uh, pretty sure we’re the only defenders,” Pidge said, rolling her eyes, but smiling all the same. Hunk chuckled along with her. Keith, however, continued to scowl and fidget uncomfortably. Lance realized he had been the only one to receive an…. odd outfit. While he still looked amazing, everyone else’s outfits looked relatively…..normal. He opened his mouth to say something, when the throne room doors opened again.

“Ah, good!” King Manonned boomed, Kaaliee trailing behind him. “I’m glad to see our native attire suits you!” The Paladins all nodded in confirmation. Lance kept an eye on Keith, seeing as something still felt off to him.

“Thank you again for your hospitality,” Allura said, ever the diplomat. The King waved her off.

“Think nothing of it!” he said. “It’s not every day our planet is saved by Voltron, and a fated pair no less!” Everyone paused at that.

“Fated pair?” Hunk ventured to ask. Kaaliee smiled.

“Of course,” she said. “Our people have the ability to see the souls of others. Each soul is a different color, but only fated pairs will share a color.”

“So, what colors are our souls?” Shiro asked, genuinely curious. Lance was too, so he gave the priestess his full attention. Kaaliee went silent for a moment, studying them.

“The Princess’s soul is a swirling pink and blue,” she said. “The Yellow Paladin’s soul is brown, the Green Paladin’s soul is a cool grey, and the Black Paladin’s soul is red.”

“What about Keith and Lance?” Pidge asked. Kaaliee smiled.

“The Red and Blue Paladins souls are a deep purple,” she said. Both Paladins in question froze. Wait, Lance thought. Both of us?! He risked a glance at Keith, who seemed to be doing his best impression of a statue. Lance quickly looked away again. Kaaliee frowned at their silence. “Were you not aware of your connection to one another?” She asked. Both Paladins shook their heads, coming out of their shock and blushing furiously. Neither boy made eye contact with the other, looking at anything and anyone else. At least the priestess had the decency to look a tad sheepish.

“Apologies for the awkwardness,” King Manonned said, coming to his daughter’s rescue. “We naturally assumed you knew, seeing as we can see your souls much more clearly than the others.”

“It’s alright,” Lance said, finally finding his voice. “I suppose we are just unfamiliar with the concept of, uh…..fated pairs.” He still refused to look at Keith as he spoke, feeling incredibly self-conscious now. The King nodded.

“Of course,” he said. Suddenly he clapped his hands together. “Well! Why don’t we put this aside for now and resume to the ballroom where we can commence with the celebrations?” The Paladins nodded.

“That seems like a wonderful idea,” Allura said. She followed the King and priestess out the doors, the Paladins filling in behind her. Shiro gave a small smile to Keith and Lance, as though he knew what the two of them were thinking. Lance finally looked over at Keith, only to find the other boy staring at him already.

“We, uh,” Keith started, eyes dropping to the floor. “We should talk.” Lance nodded.

“Yeah,” he said. He didn’t get to say anymore, as the priestess fell back to walk beside them.

“I wanted to apologise for my presumptions earlier,” she said. “I didn’t intend to make you uncomfortable.”

“No worries,” Lance said, giving her a small smile. Kaaliee smiled back.

“I’d like to offer my knowledge of fated pairs to you both,” she said.

“What do you mean?” Keith said, brows furrowing.

“Well, you stated yourselves that it is an unfamiliar concept,” she said. “I thought I’d explain it, as another way of apology. I also thought it might help you two. I sense that while you are fated to each other, there is only a weak relationship.”

“Oh,” Lance said, while Keith blushed slightly. “Uh, sure.” Kaaliee beamed.

“Lovely!” she clapped her hands together. “I will explain after the celebrations!” With that, she caught back up with her father. Lance glanced over at Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working to improve my "description of clothes" writing skill, so let me know if I did ok! 😅 (Also, sorry about the awkward end. Didn't have a better place to stop.)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoooo boy. I don't think Keith is ready for this.

“I guess she really does feel bad about all that,” he said.

“Yeah,” Keith said. Lance wanted to roll his eyes. Always had such a way with words, he thought sarcastically.

“Anyway,” he said. “You wanted to talk?” Keith sighed.

“Look,” he started. “I have a feeling that the Tyrannians thought we knew we were….fated. They also seem to see it as something really important to their planet.”

“So?” Lance asked. He didn’t really see where Keith was going with this. Keith sighed again.

“Well, they already know that we have no clue what fated pairs are,” Keith continued. “So we should pretend to start…. you know….” he trailed off awkwardly.

“What?” Lance said, getting a bit annoyed that Keith was beating around the bush, rather than using his usual bluntness. He then noticed Keith’s face was flushed a bright red.

“Start falling in love,” he said, just louder than a whisper. Lance’s eyes widened.

“What!?” Lance hissed. “Why do you think we should do that?”

“I just explained that fated pairs seem to be a really important concept on this planet!” Keith hissed back, blush fading now. Lance paused.

“Oh,” he said. “Right.” Normally, he would have argued further, but he quickly saw where Keith was heading with this. If the Tyrannians really did see fated pairs as something that important, then they would probably use that as part of their negotiations for a treaty with Voltron.

“Exactly,” Keith said, looking away. “So we just fake it until we leave.” Lance stared at the back of Keith’s head.

“You realize we’re on this planet for like, a whole week, right?” he asked. Keith’s head whipped towards him.

“Wait, what?” he asked. Lance nodded.

“Yeah, just before we landed, after saving the planet, Allura said we’d be here for about a week, seeing as the Castleship needs repairs and the Tyrannians like to party,” he said. “Apparently.” Keith paled.

“Ok,” he said, voice tight as he crossed his arms, just as tightly. “Ok, so we pretend for a week. No problem.” Lance smirked.

“Maybe not for me,” he said, looping an arm around Keith’s shoulders. Keith tensed at the contact, but that might have been because his shoulders were practically bare. “But you don’t seem like the romantic type.” Keith pouted.

“Shut up,” he huffed, shrugging Lance’s arm off his shoulders. Lance’s smirk widened as he started walking ahead of Keith.

“Off to a great start there, cariño,” Lance quipped, not bothering to look back at Keith.

They followed King Manonned and Kaaliee to the ballroom the large, ornate doors sweeping open silently. The crowd on the other side oohed and awed at the Paladins. Lance immediately stepped into his element, smiling and waving at everyone, even giving a few girls a wink. Suddenly, someone tugged on his elbow. Lance turned to Keith holding him back.

“Lance,” he said, keeping his voice low. Lance noticed he was blushing.

“Yes?” he asked.

“Were you serious earlier?” he asked.  
“About pretending?” Lance opened his mouth to reply, when a small group of pastel colored girls ran up to them.

“OMG!” the yellow one squealed. “I didn’t know two of the Paladins of Voltron were a fated pair!” The others cooed around her, crowding the now embarrassed Paladins in question.

“Uh, well-” Keith started.

“Are you going to have a ceremony here?”  
the light blue one said.

“I bet they will!” the light green one  
answered for them.

“Wait we-” Lance tried to interject.

“I bet the priestess is planning something super special!” the yellow one interrupted.

“It’ll probably be the biggest and most important event we’ve seen in a hundred years!” the light green one squealed. Both boys paled at that.

“Excuse us,” Lance said, pulling Keith away from the girls, who didn’t seem to notice  
their absence, too absorbed in their conversation. He led Keith over to the priestess. She saw them, and seeming to read something from Lance’s expression, she excused herself from the guests around her and followed after them into the hall.

“What happened?” she asked, once alone with the two boys.

“Some girls cornered us,” Lance began.

“They said something about a ceremony, and how it’ll be the most important thing they’ve had in a hundred years,” Keith added. Kaaliee’s expression turned sour.

“I see,” she said. “I was afraid it would come to this.” Lance and Keith shared a look.

“Come to what?” Lance asked, hesitantly.

“A fated ceremony is a rare thing, so to attend and host one is quite the privilege,” she said. “One that cannot be passed up. It would go against our traditions of such unions.” She placed a hand on each of the boys’ shoulders. “If one is not performed now, I’m afraid that the people of my planet will reject Voltron’s alliance, seeing the refusal to go through with a fated ceremony as disrespectful.”

“What!?” Keith and Lance shrieked at the same time. Kaaliee cringed at the volume, but simply nodded.

“I will speak with Princess Allura and my father about what has happened,” she said. She turned to leave, but paused. “I know you both just suddenly discovered your connection, but my people will see right through any ruse. If you both truly value the fate of the universe, you’ll have to do more than pretend. I’ll help where I can, but it’s up to the two of you.” With that, she left the boys in shock. Slowly, Lance looked over at Keith, who stared blankly ahead.

“So,” he said. “I guess we go with your plan of pretending until we leave?”

The rest of the party passed by in a blur. Lance wasn’t trying to avoid Keith, but they seemed to keep being pulled apart every time they so much as stood near each other. They didn’t speak the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup. No backing out now.😏 I may be just a TAD cruel to our boys.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lance is a soft boi and Pidge is a gremlin.

Finally, the Paladins were allowed to return to their rooms. Allura gave Keith and Lance a bittersweet smile when she saw them, before disappearing into her own room. The boys followed a magenta colored servant back to their rooms.

“I hope the rearrangements are acceptable,” the girl said.

“Rearrangements?” Keith asked.

“We were informed that the two of you were a fated pair,” she said simply. She opened the door to reveal the curtain replaced with an actual wall, and a bed that could snugly fit two people replacing the one Lance had seen earlier, which had been as big as his bed on the Castleship.

“You moved us into one room?” Lance asked. The servant nodded.

“Is something not to your liking?” she asked. Keith opened his mouth to respond, but Lance slapped a hand over his mouth.

“No, everything is perfect!” he said quickly. “Right, sweetie?” He turned to Keith with pleading eyes. Understanding crossed Keith’s face as Kaaliee’s earlier warning came back to him. Lance moved his hand.

“Right,” he said. “Like my….boyfriend said, it’s perfect.” Keith sounded unsure at the word boyfriend, but the servant didn’t seem to notice. She also didn’t seem to notice the blush spreading across Lance’s face.

“Well I’ll leave you be then,” she said. “Goodnight.” She walked back down the hall. Lance released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

“That was close,” he said. Keith just nodded, staring at the bed in the room. Lance’s blush increased as the realization dawned on him.

“They expect us to share,” Keith voiced aloud. Lance gave Keith a long look. He looked tense, like he was expecting someone to jump out and attack them. His eyes were a bit wide and a faint blush grew on his cheeks.

“I can take the floor if you want,” Lance said. Keith turned to him.

“What?” he asked, eyes growing wider. Lance simply shrugged.

“You look uncomfortable with the thought of sharing,” Lance said. “I’ve shared a bed with all of my siblings before, which is not an easy feat, let me tell you. I don’t really mind, but I won’t push you if you don’t want to share.” Keith’s jaw dropped.

“You’d actually sleep on the floor for me?” he near whispered. Lance smirked.

“Yeah, Mullet,” he said. “What are friends for?” Keith looked down.

“Thanks,” he said. “But it’s okay. We can share.” Lance frowned.

“You sure?” he asked, wanting to make sure Keith was really okay with this. Keith crossed his arms but nodded, looking up at Lance again, determination in his eyes. Lance gave him a soft smile.

“Okay,” he said. “But I call the left side!” He kicked off his shoes and jumped onto the bed, rolling over to the left. Keith laughed.

“What are you, six?” he asked, taking off his own shoes and sitting on the right side of the bed. Lance looked at him.

“I thought that was Shiro,” he smirked. Keith laughed again.

“Right, he’s a six year old stuck in an adult’s body,” he said.

“I still can’t believe his birthday is February 29th!” Lance laughed.

“It almost makes us the superiors,” Keith joked. Lance gasped.

“You can make jokes!” he said. Keith frowned.

“Why was that ever a question?” he asked.

“Well, I’ve seen you laugh before,” Lance said. “But I’ve never actually seen you make a joke before.” Keith just shrugged.

“Guess I just don’t have good timing or something,” he said. Lance snorted.

“Yeah, or something,” he said. He pulled himself up so he was leaning against the headboard. Keith decided to lean back too, but realized his mistake as soon as his back hit the wood. He and Lance were super close this way. Lance’s breath hitched as he came to this realization, but Keith didn’t acknowledge it. Lance didn’t move for fear of accidentally bumping into Keith. Suddenly, Keith turned to him.

“Hey, Lance?” he asked. Lance hoped the other boy didn’t notice his sudden blush.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“What do you think the ceremony will be like?” Lance nearly sighed in relief. Why, he didn’t know, but he was grateful for the change of subject.

“Not sure,” he said, looking towards the door again. “My guess is it will be a bit like an Earth wedding with some sort of alien ritual mixed in.” Keith hummed at that.

“Probably," he muttered. Lance turned back and realized Keith was nearly asleep. Lance smiled.

“Tired?” he quipped. Keith sent him a sleepy glare.

“Shuddup,” he slurred, sinking down into the mattress. Lance chuckled softly as Keith curled up on his side. Lance slid down and curled up on his own side of the bed.

The next morning, Lance woke up with an all encompassing heat on his chest. He slowly inched his eyes open, to find himself on his back, his right arm curled around something. That something was Keith, who was curled up on top of Lance. His head was on Lance’s chest, left arm curled around Lance’s right shoulder, right hand up near his face. Keith’s body was pressed against Lance’s right side, right leg against his own right. Keith’s left leg was swung over Lance’s hips, pinning him.

“Oh,” Lance breathed softly, blush taking over. He tightened his hold around Keith’s waist. This was….nice.

“Mm,” Keith hummed in his sleep, head nuzzling into Lance’s chest more. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

“Wake up love birds!” Pidge’s voice cut through the peace. Keith jolted awake. Then he seemed to take notice of his and Lance’s position. Lance smiled.

“Morning, cariño,” he said. Keith blushed and tore himself away from Lance. Lance frowned a bit at the new cold air.

“S-sorry,” Keith stammered, blush still raging. Lance smirked.

“Didn’t take you for a cuddler,” he teased, sitting up. Keith didn’t bother to respond and instead got up and started getting ready for the day. Lance sighed and got out of bed as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can't tell me you don't love a good cuddle. I had SOOO much fun writing the wake up scene.💕


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's piecing together the mystery of his clothes and Lance is being a little gremlin about it.😅

“Ugh,” Keith said, holding up some royal purple cloth. Lance frowned, walking over to him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, coming to stand beside his teammate. Keith scowled and handed him the cloth.

“It’s the clothes they left us last night,” he said. “While the colors are different, my outfit is almost exactly the same as yesterday’s.” Lance looked at the cloth in his hands. Keith was right. It looked like the same shirt he had worn yesterday, but purple.

“What did I get?” Lance asked, handing the “shirt” back. Keith huffed and handed him an actual shirt and leggings like he’d had on yesterday. The shirt didn’t have the deep v-neck like before, being cut closer to the base of his throat instead. The sleeves were the same, but it looked skintight and was the same royal purple as Keith’s.

“I have no idea why they won’t give me normal clothes,” Keith muttered, pulling on the “shirt”. Lance shrugged, pulling on his own.

“Maybe we can ask Kaaliee later,” he suggested. Keith gave a hum of approval, but his scowl remained. Lance turned away as Keith started pulling on the pants left for him, the same billowing style that he had had before, but in purple. Lance tried not to blush at the fact they were changing right next to each other. He shouldn’t be embarrassed, seeing as they changed in and out of their Paladin armour all the time around each other, not to mention they were supposedly a fated pair. Lance shook his head to clear his troubled thoughts, pulling on his own leggings.

“Lance,” Keith groaned. Lance turned to him and immediately started laughing. Keith, the ever graceful swordsman of Voltron, was completely tangled in the shirt. Keith huffed. “It’s not funny.”

“It’s hilarious, actually,” Lance said, but stopped laughing to help his teammate. “Seriously, it’s not that hard to get on.”

“Then why don’t you wear it?” Keith griped, shirt finally on correctly.

“Because that’s not what they gave me to wear,” Lance pointed out. Keith huffed again, just as another knock sounded on the door.

“You guys awake?” Shiro’s voice called from the other side. Lance opened the door.

“Yup!” He said. He strolled out of the room, Keith trailing behind him. Lance noticed the Red Paladin’s arms were crossed again. He really needed to remember to ask Kaaliee about the clothes. Keith was clearly uncomfortable, and looking around at the others as they walked down the hall, Lance could see all of their outfits were similar to yesterday’s. However, the colors were different. Hunk’s outfit was more brown than yellow, Shiro’s was red instead of black, Pidge’s was a steely grey, and Allura’s was a pretty swirling pink and blue, instead of the light pink of yesterday.

Keith took notice as well, hating how much….skin his outfit showed. There had to be a reason for this. Suddenly, the scowl that was forming on his face vanished. What if his outfit was different because he and Lance were fated pairs? That must be it. The Tyrannians must be able to see more than just the colors of souls and something about the connection between his and Lance’s caused them to give him….this. He had to admit though, the royal purple was a nice change from his usual red and Lance’s was a shade lighter than his, which went perfectly with his darker skin. Keith shook his head to ward off a blush, as he realized he’d been staring. He saw Shiro give him a confused look, but then give a knowing smirk when he followed Keith’s line of sight.

“Shut up,” he hissed.

“I didn’t say anything,” Shiro chuckled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't go getting any ideas. This fic will not end up in the gutter, thanks very much. But the pine trees are everywhere and I think a few need to be cut down, no?😏


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Man, these pine trees are just EVERYWHERE! Well, might as well take advantage! Keith and Lance get their first lesson about the fated ceremony.

Finally, the Paladins made it to the throne room again. Lance gave Keith a look, then reached out and intertwined their fingers.

"Just in public," Lance whispered to Keith, who looked like he was going to pull away. Keith paused, then nodded. Only the other Paladins, King Mannoned, and Kaaliee knew about their "relationship", so they'd have to pretend around everyone else. Keith squeezed Lance's fingers a bit, trying to draw comfort from the fact that Lance was probably just as uncomfortable. To his delight (that he will never admit to out loud) Lance squeezed back.

"Paladins!" the King said, coming into the room through another door. "I hope you all slept well?"

"Yes, thank you," Allura said, smiling. The King returned it, then clapped his hands together.

"Now, as we all know," he began. "You're Red and Blue Paladins are considered a fated pair." Keith cringed at the bluntness. Lance elbowed him.

"What?" Keith hissed, resisting the urge to rub the now sore spot.

"Don't be a hypocrite," Lance smirked. Keith made a face before focusing on the conversation again.

"As an apology for not taking their privacy into account, Kaaliee has offered to share her knowledge of fated ceremonies with them," King Mannoned said.

"Sure," Lance said, before Keith could say anything. "If we'll have to participate in one, might as well know what it is first."

"I agree," the King said. "Now, if you two would go out the door behind you, Kaaliee is waiting." Lance nodded and tugged on Keith's hand. Keith stumbled a bit as Lance dragged him out the door.

"Lance!" Keith hissed, nearly smacking into the door.

"Sorry," Lance said, slowing down. Kaaliee stood on the other side of the door, clear amusement on her face.

"Follow me," she said, smiling. Keith dropped his hand from Lance's, now that they were in a hallway and not a public space. He thought he caught a glimpse of disappointment from Lance as he did, but then it disappeared before Keith could get a better look. Keith internally sighed. He didn't want to disappoint Lance, so hopefully he imagined it.

Kaaliee led them to a ballroom a few hallways away. Lance gaped at the room. It was huge.

"This is my private ballroom," Kaaliee said. "Dancing is a hobby of mine. No one will disturb us here, except perhaps my father."

"Great," Keith said, crossing his arms over his chest. Lance frowned.

"Lighten up, Mullet," Lance said. "It's not like we're gonna be dancing in here."

"Actually," Kaaliee said hesitantly. Lance wanted to kick something. "The fated ceremony requires the couple to perform a traditional dance." Keith gave Lance a look. Lance gave a small shrug. Keith sighed.

"What sort of traditional dance?" he asked. Kaaliee smiled.

"Oh, it's easy!" she said. "First, face each other." The boys did as she said. "Now, Lance, put your left hand on Keith's waist."

"Wait, what?" Lance said, even as Kaaliee took the limb herself and moved it into place. Lance swallowed hard. Keith didn't look much better, what with his face on fire.

"Now Keith, put your right hand on Lance's shoulder," Kaaliee continued, unaware of the awkwardness. She guided Keith's hand to it's appointed spot. "Good! Now, hold your other hands together ...."

About three vargas later, the two Paladins didn't think their faces would ever be any color other than red. The dance Kaaliee had them doing required them to stand VERY close to each other. But it was pretty easy to do, seeing as it was a simple waltz. Keith wasn't much of a dancer, but he got the hang of it after the first half an hour.

"Wonderful!" Kaaliee said. "Now, the last part is a little different." She walked up to the boys, who had paused in their practicing. Kaaliee's hands lighted on Keith's shoulders, pulling them back a bit. Keith nearly tipped over.

"Uh," he said, trying to keep his balance. He could feel Lance's hand on his waist tighten its grip, trying to help hold him up.

"Relax," Kaaliee said, pulling him back a little more forcefully. Keith fell. His hands flew to wrap around Lance's neck, to keep him from hitting the floor. Lance held him up by the waist and one hand on the back of his shoulder. Keith felt his face melting off from how hard he was blushing. Because Lance, his secret crush, was DIPPING HIM. Thankfully, Lance seemed just as flustered, as his face was trying to imitate a tomato.

"Um," Lance squeaked out.

"You two are naturals!" Kaaliee interrupted. The two startled and Lance near dropped Keith, who pulled harder on Lance's neck. This brought their faces quite close together.

"You, uh…." Keith said, quietly. "You can let me up now."

"Oh," Lance said, pulling them back to standing. "Right." Kaaliee's face broke into a knowing smirk, but she said nothing.

"Well, that's it for the day," she said. "The ceremony will be the day after tomorrow, so I'll teach you about the rest then."

"Yeah," Keith said, stepping back from Lance. His hand and waist felt cold now that the heat from Lance's hands wasn't leaching into him. He saw Lance shifting his weight awkwardly.

"See you tomorrow!" Kaaliee said cheerfully, walking back into the hall and leaving the two boys to deal with their new awkwardness. This was going to be a long two days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit. I do not know how to dance. If you were hoping the dance scene would be more descriptive, I'm sorry, but unless I take a dance class, this is the extent of my knowledge.😂 But man were those reactions fun to write (teehee, I'm so mean to them. They'll thank me later).


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance get some answers......
> 
> (Please note the tags! This chapter is the reason I changed the rating to teen! Nothing explicit happens, the dom/sub stuff is for explanation purposes only. This is your fair warning!😁)

Lance had to admit. These two days might not be so bad. He and Keith still pretended to be a couple while they were in public, but they weren't in public very often, so they could be their awkward selves all they wanted.

Yeah, not so bad.

Keith, however, was still reeling from the dance lesson they'd had. He couldn't get over the fact that he sorta missed being held by Lance. They didn't do any cuddling in public, mainly just hand holding, or the occasional arm around his waist or shoulders. Keith could tell Lance was trying not to push his boundaries, but Keith secretly wanted Lance to hold him more. He was just too chicken to tell the taller boy that.

"You okay?" Lance asked as they walked down the hall to meet with Kaaliee. She was going to instruct them on the actual ceremony today.

"Fine," Keith muttered. He pulled at the light blue fabric that served as his "shirt". It was the same style as always, showing a ton of skin. "I just don't understand why I can't have normal clothes."

"Oh yeah," Lance said. "We totally forgot to ask Kaaliee the other day." He looked down at his own shirt, which was navy blue, and didn't show NEARLY as much skin.

Finally, they made it to the ballroom Kaaliee had brought them to before. She stood in the center of the room, a little table next to her. As the boys got closer, Keith could see a purple scarf and two small silver bracelet like things.

"Good morning!" Kaaliee said cheerfully.

"Morning, Kaaliee," Lance said, smiling at her. Keith simply nodded.

"We have something to ask you," Keith said, straight to the point. Lance rolled his eyes. "Why are my clothes so different from the others?" Kaaliee paused, then burst out laughing. Lance and Keith exchanged confused looks.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kaaliee said, waving a hand at them. Her laughter died down. "I completely forgot to explain. You see, along with your soul colors, we can sense types of souls as well."

"Types of souls?" Lance asked. Kaaliee nodded.

"We usually don't bother with the types," she said. "Unless we see a romantic partnership, or in your case, a fated pair."

"What are these soul types?" Keith asked. "And what do they do with my clothes?"

"There are two soul types," Kaaliee said. "In our culture, we see dominant and submissive souls. Dominant ones have a slightly orange aura, while submissive ones have a slightly white one."

"I thought you said our souls were purple?" Lance asked.

"Souls have many layers," Kaaliee explained. "And as for the two of you, Lance has a more dominant soul, while Keith's is submissive. So, different clothes for different souls."

"Wait…." Keith said, face paling. "You mean, these….dynamics, are only seen between romantic partners?" Kaaliee made a so-so gesture.

"Everyone has one," she said. "But they are stronger with a romantic partner. For us, these soul types usually help partners decide how to best please the other." Both boys flushed crimson at that implication.

"We, uh," Lance said. "We aren't expected to….do anything like that, right?"

"Oh, goodness no," Kaaliee said. "That would be quite awkward. No, the only reason your soul types are even acknowledged right now, is because of your image, for one, and it helps decide roles in the ceremony." Both Keith and Lance let out relieved sighs at that.

"Well," Lance said, recovering faster than Keith. "Glad that's sorted out." Keith just nodded.

"Excellent!" Kaaliee said. "Now, during the actual ceremony, this ribbon here will bind your hands together. Not permanently of course." She picked up the purple scarf Keith had seen earlier.

"What about those bracelets?" He asked. Kaaliee looked like she was about to squeal.

"Yes, these will be used in the last part of the ceremony," she said. "These bracelets will be put on by the more dominant soul, that being Lance, and then the more submissive soul, Keith, will allow both souls to merge with the bracelets and strengthen the bond!"

"Why does the…. submissive….do the merge thing?" Lance asked, eyeing Keith on the word submissive.

"Because they'll have an easier time convincing the other soul to merge with them," Kaaliee said. Keith just nodded and elbowed Lance to shut him up. He was becoming more embarrassed by the second. Kaaliee was basically saying that by doing this, they'd be tied together forever. Not to mention he was apparently supposed to….submit…..to Lance. Like that would ever happen.

"I'm not feeling too well," Keith said. "I'll go take a nap, see if that helps. See you later." With that, he left, leaving Kaaliee and Lance confused by his departure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so the reason for the dom/sub stuff is because I didn't want to write a fight scene about who has to do what. This way, the roles are decided for them and less fuss. 👍
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I love seeing your comments, so feel free to leave them!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith deals with some new revelations.

Keith walked back to their room. In the past few days, there hadn’t been another “cuddle-incident”, as Keith was calling it in his mind. He’d built a pillow wall in between them. He also pretended not to notice how Lance’s face had fell at that. Keith was pretty sure he had imagined it anyway. Like Lance could ever like him back.

He shut the door to their room, flopping onto the bed. Kaaliee’s words came back.

“Me?” Keith said aloud. “Submissive? As if.” He was a leader….sorta. He certainly wasn’t a follower. Keith didn’t really do the whole “be taken care of” thing. At least, not since his dad passed away. But even then his dad never really coddled him. He didn’t think his mom had either….well except maybe when he was born, but he’d have been too small to remember that. Keith stared at the ceiling, trying to understand how HE was considered SUBMISSIVE. It just didn’t make sense to him.

A knock suddenly sounded on the door. Keith jumped a bit, but forced himself to get up and answer it. Lance stood on the other side.

“I didn’t wanna bug you,” Lance said, not meeting Keith’s eyes.

“Thanks,” Keith said. “But you can just come in. It’s your room too.” Lance gave him a small smile. Keith stepped aside to let Lance in.

“Kaaliee explained the whole dynamic thing a little more to me,” Lance said cautiously. He figured that was why Keith left earlier. “She said that the way it works is based on past experiences.”

“Past experiences?” Keith asked, raising an eyebrow. Lance nodded.

“Most people don’t get a dynamic until they’re about 15 Earth years,” Lance explained. “And the dynamic depends on what kind of childhood that person had.”

“So why is yours dominant?” Keith asked, genuinely curious now.

“I spent a lot of time with my family,” Lance said. “We hugged a lot and spent time together. Since I was the baby of the family, someone was always looking out for me. So when my niece and nephew came along, I helped to take care of them.”

“So you’re used to taking care of people,” Keith summarized. Lance nodded again.

“What about your childhood?” Lance asked. Keith looked away.

“My mom left when I was little. My dad died when I was a kid,” Keith said. “Ended up in the system and the foster homes I stayed at had their own kids, so they didn’t pay me much attention. I had to look out for myself.”

“I’m sorry,” Lance said. He placed a hand on Keith's shoulder. “But maybe that’s why your dynamic is more submissive.”

“What do you mean?” Keith asked, looking at Lance again.

“Well, hear me out,” Lance said. “Maybe deep down you WANT to be coddled. A little bit. Everyone needs a hug once in a while.” Keith considered Lance’s theory. Did he really want that? Maybe there was some truth to Lance’s words.

“Okay,” Keith said. Lance smiled.

“Does that mean you’ll let me be more affectionate?” he asked.

“Just because I’m agreeing with you doesn’t mean I don’t still have boundaries,” Keith said. Lance laughed.

“That’s fair,” he said. “But I’m definitely putting more hugs into our day. Starting now!” Before Keith could even register what Lance had said, the taller boy pulled him forward and wrapped his stupidly long arms around his frame. “You gonna hug back, Mullet?” Lance teased when Keith froze. Keith slowly lifted his arms to circle around Lance.

“This is nice,” Keith mumbled the admittance into Lance’s shoulder. “Just no more surprise hugs.” Lance laughed again, and now that they were hugging, Keith could feel it rumbling from Lance’s chest to his.

“Deal,” Lance agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH! Do you ever just want to go into a fic and tell the character that the other person DOES IN FACT LIKE THEM?! That happens a lot for me, so I don't know why I wrote this they way I did. Perhaps the pine trees are clouding my judgement.😂


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mind the caution tape around this chapter.....we may be experiencing some deforestation of pine trees. :D

Lance certainly did get more hugs into their day. He’d casually throw an arm around Keith’s shoulders at random times and pull him against his side in a sort of half hug. They never failed to put a slight blush on Keith’s face. Mainly because they were so public about it. One time, a group of Tyrannian girls had seen the little display of affection and started giggling and muttering to themselves as they walked by. Keith was sure his face was bright red, while Lance’s only showed the faintest trace of pink. At least the other Paladins didn’t comment on the new development between them. Kaaliee just smiled whenever she saw them, though from relief, happiness or both, Keith couldn’t say.

The rest of the day went on like this. Until Kaaliee called the Paladins to the throne room.

“Good, everyone is here!” she said, as Keith and Lance walked in, Lance’s arm around Keith again.

“What’s up?” Lance said casually, to which Keith rolled his eyes at.

“I wanted to explain the ceremony tomorrow a bit more,” she said. “Since this is a very special occasion. And I wanted to combine a few Earth traditions with it as well.” Keith raised an eyebrow.

“Like what?” he asked.

“Well, based on my limited knowledge of human culture,” she said. “There are supposed to be roles such as a ‘Priest’, ‘Best Man’, ‘Maid of Honor’, ‘Flower Girl’, and ‘Ring Bearer’.” Keith’s face turned to a tomato, Lance froze, Pidge laughed, Shiro coughed, HUnk studied the floor, and Allura just looked on curiously. Kaaliee frowned. “Was I incorrect?”

“No,” Pidge said, wiping away a tear from her laughing. “No, Kaaliee, you got it right. It’s just, those are all roles in an Earth wedding. I’m not sure these two realized that’s basically what we’re doing tomorrow.” Kaaliee nodded as if that cleared up everything.

“I see,” she said. “Well, if you would prefer us not to include these-”

“It sounds like a lovely idea!” Allura interrupted. “I’m very curious to see some Earth customs, even combined with your own.” No offence to Allura, but Keith wanted to smack his hand over her mouth to keep her from saying more. This whole ordeal was embarrassing and stressful enough, he did not need to humiliate himself further. Lance, for his part, was still mimicking a statue and Hunk was still interested in the floor.

“Perfect!” Kaaliee said. “Then we shall give each of you a role. I will the Priestess for this, as that only makes sense.” Pidge and Allura nodded, as if this was all normal. The boys just continued to look flustered. Hunk looked up bravely.

“Who gets the other roles?” he asked. “I mean, obviously, Keith and Lance have their own roles to do, so they’re out. But what about the rest of us, shouldn’t they get to pick?” Kaaliee paused at Hunk’s logic.

“Of course!” she beamed. “Lance, Keith, who would you like to have which role?” Keith suddenly copied Hunk and stared at the floor. Lance still hadn’t moved.

“Lance, Keith?” Allura prompted. Shiro cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Let’s maybe give them some time to think about it,” Shiro said, effectively, sparring them from any further embarrassment. The other Paladins followed Kaaliee through a side door, leaving the two boys alone. Lance still had not moved.

“Lance?” Keith said, tentatively. Lance took a deep breath. Then slid his arm from Keith’s shoulders.

“Sorry,” he said quietly. He turned to face Keith fully. Keith searched his face, trying to understand what was wrong. Because Lance clearly wasn’t embarrassed. This was something else.

“What’s wrong?” he asked gently. Lance took a shaky breath, then pulled Keith into a tight hug.

“I just….” he said, voice thick with emotion. “This just became so much more real for me. And….and staying with someone for the rest of my life….” He pulled back and looked Keith in the eyes. Keith’s heart broke at seeing those blue orbs shimmering with unshed tears.

“Lance,” Keith said. “We don’t have to do this. The alliance isn’t more important than your boundaries.” Lance seemed to take in Keith’s words.

“Keith, I need to tell you something,” Lance said. Keith waited patiently. “I….I like you. As in….I have a crush on you.” Keith was momentarily stunned.

“I-” Keith stammered. “Uh….oh….wow.” He was sure he was blushing again.

“Keith?” Lance proded. Keith smiled at him.

“I like you too,” he said, amazed at how confident he sounded. Lance’s grin matched his own.

“Oh,” he said. “Good. I mean, great.” He rambled a bit. Keith giggled like a fool, then smashed their faces together. Then the others walked in at that exact moment.

“I love being right,” Pidge said. “Pay up everyone.” Lance and Keith sprung apart, while Shiro, Hunk and Allura all groaned. Kaaliee looked both delighted and confused.

“Well!” she said, ignoring the awkwardness of the room. “Have you two decided roles?”

“Technically, no,” Keith admitted. “But it can’t be hard.” Lance nodded in agreement.

“Personally,” he said. I think Shiro should be the ‘Best Man’ and Allura the ‘Maid of Honor’.” Both people in question looked stunned.

“That would leave Hunk to be ‘Ring Bearer’,” Keith said. “And Pidge ‘Flower Girl’.” Keith tried not to smirk at Pidge’s appalled expression. He thought it fitting for her, considering she had won an apparent bet placed on him and Lance. Kaaliee smiled.

“I’ll start getting preparations ready!” she said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DOWN WITH THE PINES!!! Oh trust me, there is more story to come. But I couldn't wait any longer! I was beginning to act like that kid that takes their dolls and smashes them together while saying "NOW KISS!!" XD


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Begin the preparations!

Keith was not ready.

He’d woken up cuddling with Lance again. That was the end of the peaceful moment, however. Next thing the two knew, they were being hauled out of bed and down opposite ends of the hallway. Keith followed Kaaliee and another girl (this one was neon yellow with highlighter orange hair) into a room at the end of the hall.

“Where are we?” Keith asked. Kaaliee clapped her hands excitedly.

“This is the prep room!” she said. “It’s actually not called that, but there wasn’t a better word that translated from my language to yours.”

“Oh,” Keith said, suddenly becoming shy. He really did not want to find out what Kaaliee meant by “prep”. But he had a sinking feeling he would anyway.

“Yes, now stand in front of this mirror,” Kaaliee said, pointing to a large floor-to-ceiling mirror the other girl had brought over. Keith stepped in front of it, trying not to fidget. He didn’t like staring at his reflection for too long. He especially hated how unruly his hair looked. Out in the desert, he didn’t really cut it, as all he had was his knife and he didn’t trust himself to go any shorter than his signature mullet. He eventually learned to live with it, but since he had just gotten out of bed, it was a mess.

“Um, now what?” he asked, nervously. Kaaliee reached for the hem of his shirt. He backed away.

“Don’t be silly,” she said. “Your shirt needs to come off for measurements, but you can keep your pants on.” Keith blushed a bit, but complied. Now he really felt self conscious. While the shirts they had given him had shown a LOT of skin, he was completely exposed now. There was a scar on his side from when he fell off his hoverbike, shortly after getting kicked from the Garrison. There was a bruise that was still healing just under his ribs from when he’d been training on the castle. He also hated the little mole-like freckles that covered his body. They were less noticeable on his arms, so sometimes he would be seen wearing just his t-shirt, but his chest and torso? Little more obvious.

Kaaliee walked around him in a circle. Keith was really trying not to just reach for his shirt again. He knew she wasn’t judging him. The other girl handed him a tape measure.

“Arms up,” she instructed. Keith slowly raised his arms. Kaaliee moved forward and wrapped the tape measure around his chest. Keith just stared at the wall. She was very close. While he didn’t swing that way, it was still pretty awkward to have a girl invading his personal space like this. Keith held his breath as Kaaliee moved the tape measure down to his waist, then his hips. She smirked up at him. “You can breath,” she said. Keith did.

“Sorry,” he said. “I, uh, I’m just not-”

“Used to physical contact?” she asked. “I understand. I promise to be quick, but we need to make sure everything is correct for later today.” Keith just nodded. Kaaliee moved her tape measure across his arms, before telling him to lower them. Then, she placed her tape measure near his hip and ran it down one of his legs. Finally she stepped back.

“That’s it?” Keith asked, trying not to sound too hopeful. Based on the small chuckled Kaaliee let slip, he was unsuccessful.

‘“Everything appears correct,” she said. “Now you can change into the formal wear we provided!”

On the other end of the hall, Lance was going through a similar process with two identical, male Tyrannians. They both had bright, cherry red skin and vibrant purple hair. Lance figured they were twin brothers, but he wouldn’t know, as neither one spoke to him or even gave him their names. They simply worked in silence, giving gentle nudges here and there to direct Lance. All without a word. It was a little creepy.

“So,” Lance tried again. “Do you guys know what Keith’s going through right now?” No answer. Figures. Lance was basically talking to a pair of cherry red walls.

Suddenly, the two Tyrannians got up and left. Lance was left standing in the middle of the room, very confused. One of them came back in. He held out a stack of clothes.

“Your formal wear,” he said, which caught Lance off guard. His voice was deep, deeper than he would have expected. The man left the stack for Lance, then went back to wherever it was he left to before. Lance unfolded the formal wear.

“Oh,” was all he could say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmm, yes. I have plans! But I wanted to drag out the preparations a bit, just for the suspense I crave. XD
> 
> Poor baby Keith! He needs someone to tell him how beautiful he is! I'm sure Lance will fix that soon. ;) (I also just love the though of Keith with freckles, so. XD)


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More preparations! And some formal wear!

Kaaliee had handed Keith a small stack of cloth, then left to give him privacy to change. Before she left, Kaaliee explained that the cloth was the same color as their soul bond color. Which was apparently a deep purple. Keith held up the first piece.

“Finally,” he said. “About time I got a better shirt.” The shirt in question reavealed MUCH less skin. It was a loose tank top, with form-fitting sleeves attached to the sides, leaving his shoudlers bare. The ends of the sleeves billowed out around his wrists, but didn’t engulf his hands. Keith slipped it on. “Much better.” Next he picked up a pair of pants. They were similar to what he had been wearing the past couple of days, but a little less billow-y. He pulled them on, the usual slipper like shoes following.

“Keith?” Kaaliee called. “Ready for the last bit?”

“Yeah,” Keith said. Kaaliee came back in with lilac strips of cloth. “What are those for?”

“Just hold still,” Kaaliee said. She picked up one strip and tied it around Keith’s hips. Then she picked up the second one and tied it like a sash across his chest, connecting it to the other strip. “These are formal sashes. They are only worn for ceremonies like this.”

“Oh,” Keith said. “Neat.” Kaaliee giggled.

“Let’s go find Lance, yes?” she asked. Keith just nodded. He followed Kaaliee down the hallway until he saw Lance stepping out of another room. Keith gasped.

“Hey, Mullet,” Lance said, smiling. He looked Keith up and down. “Nice outfit. Got a real shirt this time.”

“Yeah,” Keith said, still shamelessly ogling Lance. The other boy’s outfit was the same deep purple as his own, but the shirt was high-collared and had no sleeves. Lance also had form-fitting leggings on and the slipper shoes. Lastly, he had the lilac sashes tied the same way Keith did. Lance looked stunning.

“Last thing before the ceremony starts,” Kaaliee said, breaking the boys out of their little….whatever that was. “Come with me!” The boys followed her down a different hallway, one they hadn't been down before.

"Where are we?" Keith asked, as Kaaliee pushed open a door.

"My room," she said, like it was no big deal. Lance and Keith shared a confused look before hesitantly following her into the room.

"Wow," Lance said, looking around. The whole room was done in pastel colors, so it sort of looked like an Easter celebration threw up on the walls.

"Nice room," Keith said, staring at the light pink carpet.

"Thanks," Kaaliee said, bee-lining for a drawer. "Ah, here we are!" She pulled out two silver tiara-like things.

"What are those?" Keith asked. Kaaliee just smiled and placed one on his head, putting the other on Lance right after.

"These circlets let you communicate telepathically with the person you are bonding with!" she said. "Just for the ceremony. Plus, they are very stylish." Both boys were blushing as they looked at one another, because the only thought running through their heads was "Man, he's beautiful." Kaaliee chuckled, just seeing their tomato red faces.

“So, how do they work?” Lance finally asked, tearing his eyes away from Keith.

“Simple,” Kaaliee said. She tapped each of the circlets on the Paladins’s heads. Suddenly, they could hear each other’s thoughts.

+Whoa.+

*This is super weird, right?*

+Definitely. Just promise me you’ll respect my privacy, Lance.+

*‘Course, Mullet! Who do you take me for?*

“Done conversing?” Kaaliee smiled. Lance jumped a bit, completely forgetting about the Tyrannian girl standing in front of them.

“Uh, sorry,” Lance said. Kaaliee waved a hand.

“Oh, don’t worry,” she said. “Many couples have done the same thing.” She took their hands. “Now, off to the Bonding Ceremony!” Keith and Lance were practically dragged back down the hall and to the throne room. Kaaliee pushed Lance inside first.

“So, how does this work again?” Keith asked nervously, as Kaaliee shut the door behind Lance.

“Well, Lance will stand at the end of an aisle,” Kaaliee said. “Shiro and Princess Allura will follow after, Shiro next to Lance and Allura next to where you will be. Pidge will follow, then take a seat somewhere in the front, then you will come out, the lastly Hunk will bring the bond bracelets.” Keith felt overwhelmed. It felt like a real wedding. He hoped Lance was doing okay. Or maybe a little nervous. Oddly, that calmed Keith’s own nerves, knowing that he might not be the only one freaking out.

“Got it,” Keith said. Kaaliee took his hand in hers.

“I have to go in now,” she said. “But don’t worry, you will be fine!”

“Yeah,” Keith said, in a TOTALLY convincing voice. Kaaliee smiled.

“Think of it this way,” she said. “When it’s all over, you’ve got a handsome man waiting for you.” Keith flushed as Kaaliee laughed and entered the throne room.

*Keith?*

+Oh, Lance! Uh, w-what’s up?+

*You okay? You seem….flustered.*

+It’s nothing!+

*Okay, you’re sure….?*

+I’m sure!+

“I’ve never been more nervous in my life,” Keith muttered to himself. Suddenly, the doors in front of him opened. Keith took a deep breath. “Showtime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DON'T YELL AT ME!! I know, I left quite the cliffhanger. But I wanna make the ceremony super fluffy and awkward and all that jazz. XD
> 
> On the plus side, Keith got an actual shirt, yay! And writing them having conversations telepathically is super weird, lemme tell ya. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! <3


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ceremony!!

Lance had to subtly pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Sure, he had seen Keith before being shoved into the room, but watching the other boy walk towards him was breathtaking. And, if he did say so himself, they were the best dressed. Shiro wore something surprisingly similar to an Earth tux, all black though. Allura wore a simple light pink dress with a square neckline and quarter-length sleeves. Hunk was wearing a yellow long-sleeve turtle neck and nice black leggings. Pidge wore a short, light green dress. The skirt puffed out a bit, making her look a little younger than she actually was.

+Lance?+

The sudden thought that entered his head snapped him back to the present. Keith had made it to his side.

“Hey,” Lance said softly. Keith blushed. Lance could get used to this. They both turned to Kaaliee.

“What a splendous day!” she said to the crowd. “Today, we witness the bonding ceremony of these two Paladins of Voltron!” A cheer went up from the crowd. Kaaliee motioned for their hands. Lance took Keith's hands in his, giving them a gentle squeeze as Kaaliee tied the cloth around them. When she was done, she said a few words in her native language.

“Paladin Hunk,” she called out. “Could you bring the bracelets please?” Hunk gave Kaaliee the bonding bracelets. She placed one on Lance’s right wrist, and the other on Keith’s left.

“Keith,” she said. “I need you to focus on bonding your souls together. Lance, I need you to try and keep an open mind.” Both boys nodded. Keith gave a tiny frown in concentration.

+Focus on the bonds.+

*Relax, Mullet. I’ll always have an open mind when it comes to you.*

+Shut it, I’m trying to focus.+

Lance tried not to chuckle aloud. He did notice that Keith’s cheeks were a bit pink. Suddenly, a warm sensation flowed into him, starting from his wrist, spreading up his arm, then through his chest, before engulfing him entirely.

“Oh,” Keith breathed. Lance could suddenly feel how Keith felt. Extremely nervous, but safe. Lance carefully pushed the feeling of a mental hug to Keith, whose eyes widened at the new feeling.

“Oh,” Lance echoed. Kaaliee smiled, then removed the ribbon.

“You have now been bonded to each other,” she announced. “You won’t need the bracelets to access the bond from now on, they are more ceremonial than anything now, but I believe Earth has a similar custom with rings?” Lance nodded.

“Yeah,” he said. “They have another tradition too.” Keith glanced at him, confused, but before he could say anything, Lance pulled him into a kiss. It was a sweet kiss, not rushed or messy, but one that had been a long time coming and full of so much love. Lance was vaguely aware of the “aw”s coming from the crowd, but tuned them out. He pulled back to see Keith smiling from ear to ear, face as red as his Lion. Suddenly, the lights in the room went out.

“Grab them!” a voice yelled. Keith was suddenly yanked from Lance’s arms.

“Keith!” he yelled. He could still feel him over the bond. Keith was scared, but not for himself.

“Lance?” Keith called, somewhere to Lance’s left. Suddenly, a hand wrapped around the back of Lance’s neck.

“Don’t worry,” a voice said, one Lance was sure he had heard before. “We aren’t gonna hurt you. Yet.” On that chilling note, something hit Lance over the head, knocking him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, yes, the cliffhangers I love to abuse. But wasn't that a fluffy ceremony? D'aw, my heart melted just writing it! Don't worry, more fluff is in store for our boys, just not right away.
> 
> Care to take a guess at who knocked out Lance? He has met the person before, I'll tell you that much! ;)


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith has a talk with his captor.

Keith woke up slowly. He didn’t really remember what happened, but he did remember being knocked out. He slowly took in his surroundings, without opening his eyes yet, in case the people who knocked him out were in the room with him.

He was lying on something soft, but also hard at the same time. Perhaps a thin blanket on the floor? The air around him was cool, but not uncomfortable. He was still wearing the outfit from the ceremony (he did remember that, his memory was slowly coming back. Keith fought down a happy blush). The circlet was gone from his head however. Keith inched his eyes open carefully.

His assumptions of being on the floor were correct. It looked like he was in a dimly lit cell. A single blanket under him was all that was in it, nothing (and more importantly, no ONE) else. Keith sat up. He tested his new bond, searching for Lance.

It was hard to describe, the bond. It was like he could feel Lance constantly, like he was giving Keith a big hug 24/7. But right now, the bond was near frigid. It was still there, but it felt like Lance had dropped ice cubes down his shirt. Keith shivered. Something was wrong with Lance. He got up and walked over to the bars that made up the cell door.

“Lance?” he whispered. He didn’t get a response. “Lance?” he said just a bit louder. Suddenly, a figure came down the hall.

“Oh, awake are you?” a male voice said. “Wasn’t expecting that yet.” Keith watched as the figure stepped into his view. It was a male Tyrannian. He was cherry red with vibrant purple hair.

“Who are you?” Keith asked. The Tyrannian smiled.

“My name is Faaren,” he said. “My twin, Heerto, and I captured you and the Blue Paladin a few hours ago.”

“Hours?” Keith asked. He hoped Lance was okay. Then, a thought occurred to him. “Why are you telling me this? Most captors wouldn’t be so nice as to tell their captives what happened and who they are.” Faaren laughed.

“You’re right,” he said. “But we aren’t going to torture you. Much.” Keith swallowed at that.

“Where is he?” he asked instead, fighting down some of his nerves.

“The Blue Paladin?” Faaren asked. “Still asleep, I’m afraid. Heerto was the one to knock him out and he’s not as nice as I am.” Faaren shrugged, not looking overly concerned.

“Why aren’t we in the same cell?” Keith asked. If Faaren was going to keep answering his questions, he was going to ask as many as he could.

“Well, for starters, the cells are too small for more than a single person,” Faaren said. “And Heerto and I are scientists. We want to study how your new bond works.” Keith frowned.

“Why?” he asked. Faaren glanced down the hall.

“If you repeat any of this to anyone, you won’t get to see the Blue Paladin ever again,” he threatened. Keith nodded. “Heerto and I were banished a few years ago to the outskirts of the main city. The King didn’t approve of our methods for researching bonds. They destroyed all of our work and then banished us. About a week ago, Heerto snuck into the palace, erasing all data on us. He also found out the Paladins of Voltron were staying there, and that the Blue and Red Paladins were going to be bonded. No one in the palace seemed to remember us, and their data on us was gone, so we were offered jobs there. And the rest is history.” Faaren finished his story with a smile.

“Why did King Manonned disapprove of your methods?” Keith asked warily.

“Well, separation for weeks at a time was a part of it,” Faaren said, ticking the reasons off his fingers. “Along with some starvation and physical torture, light of course, and then some emotional manipulation. The King was furious because some of these bonds would break and the victims would die.” Keith stared at the Tyrannian in horror.

“You’re sick,” Keith said, fighting the sudden urge to vomit. Faaren shrugged.

“Science is science,” he said. “And someone has to get their hands dirty to know the truth. Our people just blindly accept how bonds work with our souls. They don’t care about the specifics. But what happens when toxic bonds occur? Or if the bond is incomplete and causes health issues to the pair? We’re trying to save people! One or two lives is worth saving thousands!”

“Not always,” Keith said. Faaren scoffed.

“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “Once Blue wakes up, you can see him. After that, the fun begins.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know, short chapter. But I really wanna play up the suspense. *insert evil laugh* But hey! The boys are alive, so that's something!
> 
> Faaren is probably going to be my favorite to write. He's more chill than Heerto, whom we'll meet next chapter. XD


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance wakes up!

Lance was glad to discover that the guy guarding his door was stupid.

Really now, he had woken up an hour ago, and the guy hadn't noticed! To be fair, Lance hadn't moved really, but the guy was dumb as bricks, seeing as he hadn't even turned around. Suddenly, another door opened down the hall.

"Heerto!" a voice said. "Has he woken up?"

"How should I know?" the guard asked.

"Heerto, honestly, you are the worst," the voice said. Lance shut his eyes quickly. He heard the door open. Then a sharp kick landed on his ribs.

"Ow!" Lance cried instinctually, curling in on himself. Well, there went his cover.

"He's awake," the guard said.

"Master of the obvious," the voice said. Lance opened his eyes.

"Y-you guys!" he gasped out. It was the two Tyrannians who helped get ready for the ceremony. What did they want?

"Yes, us," Voice said. "My name is Faaren. This is Heerto, my brother. And you will follow him down the hall to see your bonded. Got it?" Lance stared at him. Heerto groaned.

"Really? Why?" he complained.

"Because even though the bond is new, they should see each other before the first test," Faaren said. Lance struggled to sit up. Test? He watched Faaren warily, expecting him to push Lance back down. Faaren simply stood there.

"Get up," Heerto growled. Lance narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He was getting some "good-cop, bad-cop" vibes. Heerto reached down and roughly pulled Lance to his feet.

"Careful," Faaren warned. Heerto rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah," he said. Lance was super confused, but with the promise of seeing Keith registering in his mind, he followed the Tyrannian down the hall.

"So," Lance said, as Heerto pulled him along. "What kind of test are my bonded and I doing?" No answer. Lance frowned. "Lovely decor. Are we underground?" No answer. Lance huffed. No wonder these guys were so silent earlier. Clearly, they were blabbermouths (note the sarcasm).

"Here," Heerto suddenly said, honestly startling Lance. They had stopped in front of another door, which Heerto was now opening. Lance gasped.

"Keith!" he yelled, rushing in. He just noticed neither one of them had their hands bound. They hugged fiercely.

"Lance, oh my God!" Keith said. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, you?" Lance said. Keith nodded. A gagging sound came from the door.

"Ugh, PDA," Heerto said. Lance ignored him, while Keith stiffened ever so slightly. Lance spared a small glance at Heerto before whispering to Keith.

"What do you know?" he asked. He suddenly felt a small spike of fear. Somehow, Lance knew it was Keith's through the bond.

"Experiments," Keith whispered back. "Faaren is better." Suddenly, Lance was yanked back.

"Time's up," Heerto said, pulling Lance out of the cell and shutting the door.

"Wait, please!" Lance said, trying to go back. He felt Keith's fear spike again.

"Be quiet," Heerto growled. Lance shut his mouth. He trusted Keith's judgement. And the new information did not bode well. He just hoped their friends could find them soon, or else Lance feared both he and Keith would be dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to call me out on how evil I'm being.😂 But to be fair, I did warn that Heerto was more of a jerk than Faaren.🤷🏼😂 At least our boys got a moment! D'aw.💕


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first test

Faaren stayed back with Keith. Keith tried not to flinch as Faaren opened the door again and stepped into his personal space.

"Time to begin the first test," Faaren said. Keith's eyes narrowed warily as Faaren pulled a small, flat piece of square metal out of his pocket.

"What's that?" he asked, hoping the Tyrannian would continue to answer his questions. Faaren smiled. It was not kind.

"This," he said, coming closer to Keith. "Is a sensory manipulator. Well, sort of. It manipulates what you feel physically." Keith tried not to flinch as Faaren placed the square on his forehead. It felt warm. Faaren stepped back, the square now stuck to Keith's forehead. "Let the test begin."

"What-" Keith started. Suddenly, the square buzzed lightly. Then searing pain flared in his limbs. Keith screamed.

Lance walked quietly along with Heerto. No point in getting him worked up again. Suddenly, Heerto shoved him into some random room. There was only a single chair. Heerto pushed Lance into it, strapping his wrists to the armrests.

"Hey!" Lance said. Suddenly, a cautious feeling crept up Lance's spine, but not his. Keith's. Heerto noticed.

"Test one," he said. "Physical feelings." Then the pain came crashing through.

"AHHH!" Lance screamed. He knew this wasn't his pain. Keith was in agony and Lance could feel it, although he was sure it felt worse on Keith's end. Lance pulled against the restraints, desperate to get to Keith, to save him. Heerto watched with a bored expression. Lance fixed him with a glare, trying not to scream again. He wouldn't give the Tyrannian the satisfaction.

"Don't worry," Heerto said suddenly. "Your beloved Red won't suffer any damage, other than exhaustion." Lance wasn't sure why Heerto felt the need to tell him this, but he didn't care. Keith needed him. He could feel his fear mixing with Keith's. Lance fought until the pain became too much and he passed out, the same time the pain suddenly disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to do an emotional test first, but the flow just didn't feel right. So light torture it is!😁😅 (Put your pitchforks down, they won't die I promise.)
> 
> Find me on Reddit!:  
> https://www.reddit.com/u/Fantasy_Addict_Fics?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's in pain. (I'm sorry, I have to!!!)

Keith didn't know if it had been mere hours or days since he was forced into this pain. Faaren would randomly switch on the device at different levels, from bearable to Keith blacking out. Keith had tried not to cry at first, but gave up soon after. It hurt that bad.

"Please," he rasped. He hadn't been given any food or water since he'd been here. "Please stop."

"Soon," Faaren said. "The pain will stop soon." Keith furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean I still won't give you food and water," Faaren said. "But the pain will stop." Keith scowled but said nothing. He supposed it could be worse.

"Fine," he said, opting to cooperate for now. He had a feeling he would get food eventually, he just had to do what these aliens said. Didn't mean he liked it though.

"Can you feel your Blue?" Faaren asked suddenly. Keith was surprised for a moment, before he focused on his bond with Lance. He could feel Lance's fear mixed with his own, plus some exhaustion. Keith could tell when Lance noticed his presence, because a thread of comfort and warmth passed between them. Keith embraced it and sent a thread back.

"Well?" Faaren prompted. Keith sighed.

"Yes," he said. "He's exhausted." Keith figured he should give him something, as the whole point of this was apparently research. Faaren seemed satisfied with the answer.

"Interesting," he said.

"What are you doing to Lance?" Keith asked.

"While you are subjected to pain and hunger," Faaren said. "Your beloved Blue is subjected to pain and lack of sleep. The pain being the backlash of yours of course."

"Why?" Keith asked. He appreciated how Faaren seemed to always answer his questions. It was like Faaren enjoyed telling Keith, knowing he couldn't do anything about it.

"We want to see if you are able to sense more than one complex thing at a time," Faaren shrugged. "Pain, hunger and sleep are pretty strongly felt." He pressed the pain button. Keith grit his teeth, as the pain wasn't too bad. Still annoying though. He felt bad for Lance as well, seeing as the pain affected him too. Keith tried to keep a kid on his end of the bond when it happened, but he struggled. He just hoped Lance didn't feel the worst of the pain.

Finally, the pain stopped. Keith sagged in relief. The ones that weren't so bad tended to last longer than the ones that usually made him black out. Faaren came over and removed the square.

"The pain is over," he said. Keith nearly cried. "Now we just want to see how long you two last with no food or sleep. See how long before you break." Faaren stood and left, leaving Keith by himself. Keith curled up. While he was thankful the pain had stopped, he could feel the phantom fire coursing through his veins. He sat up with a scream, realizing he had dozed off. He brought his knees up to hide his face in and cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry!!! I feel horrible for putting the boys through this but NEVER FEAR! I see good times ahead!.....maybe not DIRECTLY ahead, but ahead!😅


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance gets a visit.

Lance was exhausted. Every time he tried to close his eyes, he'd feel the backlash of Keith's pain. That, or Heerto slapped him across the face. Lance could also tell that Keith was starving. And while Lance had been given food, he could still feel hunger gnawing at his insides.

"Please," Lance whispered, too tired to raise his voice further. He didn't know how long he had been strapped to this chair, only free when he was brought food. Heerto stood near the door, monitoring him. Suddenly, Heerto left, and Faaren entered.

"Hello," he said. Lance said nothing. He knew that if Heerto had been with him, Faaren had been with Keith. No matter what Keith said, Faaren was the worse of the two. "I wanted to let you know that your beloved Red will no longer be in pain." Lance's eyes widened.

"What?" he asked, fearing the worst. He reached out, searching for Keith. The connection felt numb.

"Don't worry, he's alive," Faaren assured. "But he will continue to go without food while you continue to go without sleep."

"Why?" Lance asked. Faaren glanced at the door, but said nothing.

"Tell me something," Faaren said instead. "Your planet…..it does not rely on bondings or anything of the sort, correct?" Lance frowned.

"So?" he said, not quite answering. Faaren nodded.

"One last thing," Faaren said, ignoring Lance's question. "How long do humans typically live without food?" Lance paused.

"I don't know," he answered carefully. "Without food, a human's body will start to basically eat itself, taking nutrients from fat and muscles until we eventually die from a lack of nutrients. But I'm not a scientist like you. So I have no idea how long this process takes." Faaren frowned slightly.

"I see," he said. "Maybe we should consider giving your Red some food. Not enough to satisfy him, just enough to keep him alive. Don't want you two dying yet." Lance's blood went cold at the word "yet".

"Let us go," Lance tried. "Or let us be together, at least. Please. Human minds don't do well apart from other people for so long." Ok, that last part was a stretch, but Lance just wanted to see Keith at this point, and it's not like these aliens knew anything about Earth.

"We'll consider it," Faaren said. Suddenly, a jolt of intense fear ran through Lance's body. He sat ramrod straight, gasping. Faaren watched as Lance slowly caught his breath.

"He had a nightmare," Lance said. He could feel Keith trying to find Lance, searching for some kind of comfort, like a child would a stuffed toy to keep them safe in the night. Lance pushed a blanket of concern and understanding at him. Keith relaxed soon after.

"Interesting," Faaren said. "You can still feel each other and your distress even in sleep? None of the others before had a bind quite that strong." Lance just glared at him. Faaren sighed. "Well, be glad he's not in pain anymore. I'll leave you now." With that, he left, Heerto returning to monitor Lance. Lance willed himself not to cry, even as he felt Keith breaking down on the other side of the bond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those pitchforks are getting dangerously close..... perhaps I can appease you dear readers by hinting at some light in the next chapter? No specifics, but light is coming for the boys!😁
> 
> Sorry about the slow updates, but life, ya know?😂 I'm glad I finally got to get this chapter out!


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rescue!

Keith felt the warm feelings from Lance and relaxed slightly. No matter what, he was Keith's rock, something to cling to when things got bad. And that was something Keith desperately needed right now. He still felt exhausted and he knew it was because of Lance. They were both very hungry as well.

"Please," Keith whispered. "Help us." Suddenly, the most wonderful sound to ever grace Keith's ears rang in his head. Red's purr. "Red?" Suddenly, the whole place shook. Keith grinned, pushing a hopeful feeling towards Lance so he knew it was the Lions. The team had come. Or, at least Red, and that was enough for Keith.

"You!" Faaren said, throwing open the door suddenly. "You know what's attacking us, don't you?" Keith's grin widened.

"Red," he said. "Red came." Faaren's eyes widened.

"No!" he said. "It's too soon! You can't leave!" He made to lunge at Keith, but in the next moment, the ceiling collapsed on him. Keith was spared, but he hesitantly crawled over to Faaren. As messed up as he was, he HAD answered all of Keith's questions rather than leave him in the dark. Keith thought that was the kindest thing he could have done.

"Faaren?" he called softly. He got a small groan in return. Satisfied the Tyrannian would stay alive, Keith climbed over the rubble and went in search of Lance.

"Holy quiznack!" Lance yelled, as the chair he was tied to fell sideways. The impact jarred him a bit, but he was pretty sure he'd only have a bruise or two. Heerto ran from the room, leaving the door wide open.

"Stay here!" he growled as he left.

"Like I could go anywhere!" Lance snapped back. Suddenly, he felt a surge of hopefulness from Keith's end of the bond. They were being rescued.

As soon as Lance figured Heerto was out of ear shot, he started yelling.

"KEITH!" he screamed. "KEITH I'M IN HERE!" He kept yelling, hoping Keith would find him soon. The angle of his bound hands was now cutting off his left hand's circulation.

"LANCE!" he heard Keith yell.

"Keith! Keith over here!" Lance directed. Suddenly, Lance caught sight of that wonderful mullet he loved so much.

"Lance, oh quiznack!" Keith yelled. He ran back outside and came back with a piece of debris. "Hold still, I'm gonna cut you free."

"Thanks, love," Lance slurred. It would seem he hit his head a bit when he fell over. Everything was starting to swim.

"Stay with me," Keith said. "Stay awake, sharpshooter."

"Keep me 'wake," Lance slurred.

"Red's here," Keith said. We just gotta make it to Red. Then you can tell Blue how much you missed her."

"Beautiful girl," Lance confirmed. "Missed you too."

"I missed you too," Keith said, cutting the last of the restraints. He hoisted Lance up.

"Dizzy," he said. Keith let him lean on his shoulder as they made their way out.

"Hang in there," Keith said. He hauled Lance down the hall. Red had busted through the ceiling, jaw wide open for them.

"Red," Lance said. Keith smirked.

"Good Kitty," he said. They climbed in.

"Lance! Keith!" the monitor lit up with their fellow Paladins, who looked overjoyed to see them.

"Glad to see you guys in one piece," Pidge said.

"Lance needs a pod," Keith said. "Concussion I think. I might need one too."

"We'll contact Allura," Shiro said.

"Hey, Hunk?" Lance said.

"What's up, buddy?" the Yellow Paladin said.

"When we're out, can you make garlic knots?" he asked, sleepily. Hunk smiled.

"I'll do my best Lance," he said.

"Sweet," he said. He then nearly collapsed, but Keith caught him in time.

"No sleeping yet," Keith said. "Just hold on a bit longer."

"But I'm TIRED," Lance whined. "I haven't slept in AGES."

I know," Keith winced. "Believe me. But if you sleep know, you might not wake up." Lance sighed.

"'Kay," he agreed. Keith and Lance sat in the floor and Red flew them to safety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have some news guys.....Kitty Cat and Souls only have about 2 more chapters each. I KNOW!! I'm sad too. But hey, I've got some other great stuff for you guys to read and new works planned for the future!🥰
> 
> WOOHOO OUR BOYS ARE SAVED!! Red really is a good kitty.😂


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To the pods!

Keith struggled to keep Lance awake. The Blue Paladin nearly passed out again a few minutes into flying.

"Lance," Keith said, gaining the other boy's focus once more. "What's Varadero beach like?" Lance smiled.

"Oh, man," he said. "As soon as we get back to Earth, I'll take you there. The waves are huge, like ALL the time and the water is so clear and blue. The sand is white, so you can walk on it without burning your feet and it's so SOFT. Like a cloud. But made of powdery sand."

"Sounds incredible," Keith said. "Definitely better than the sand in the desert by the Garrison."

"Agreed," Lance said. They were still sitting on the floor, Lance leaning back and Keith tucked against him. Lance put his head atop Keith's.

"Hey," Keith said. "No sleeping."

"I know," Lance said. "But it's hard." Suddenly, Red lurched slightly. They had landed. Keith helped Lance up.

"Let go," Keith said. "Sooner we get in the pods, dinner we can get out and cuddle again."

"Sleeeeeep," Lance whined. Keith chuckled, just as they set foot on solid ground.

"Lance, Keith!" Hunk yelled. "You're alive!" Keith chuckled again at that.

"You sound so surprised," Keith said.

"You'll never get rid of us," Lance added. He swayed slightly.

"Okay, pod first, then reunion," Hunk said. "Allura and Pidge went to get two ready and Shiro should be here any second."

"Yay," Lance said, swaying again. Keith nodded at Hunk, who came and supported Lance's other side. Just then, Shiro jogged up.

"Thank the stars," he muttered, nearly inaudible. "Do you know how long you guys were gone?"

"Uh," Keith said. "A few days? The pain and hunger, plus Lance's lack of sleep made it hard to tell."

"Two weeks," Shiro said. "And I know this isn't the time to talk about this, but I was just so WORRIED about you." Keith didn't respond, mind reeling with the new information. Two weeks? Lance hadn't really slept in TWO WEEKS?! No wonder he wanted to sleep so badly. The only form of rest he must have gotten was when Keith slept. Or passed out from pain.

"Talk after," Hunk said. "Pods now." Shiro nodded and led them down the halls of the Tyrannian castle, stopping at the infirmary.

"Thank quiznack!" Allura said when they came in. "I was worried they were actively dying!"

"Still could be," slurred Lance, who was barely upright at this point.

"Right, pods!" she said. She pushed Keith into one and Lance into the other. Keith could still feel his bond with Lance and he took comfort in that as the pod cover shimmered into place and he succumbed to the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is so short and it's been so long since I've updated ANYTHING.😅 Life has been busy.
> 
> Anywho, yay! Our boys are safe! With only one chapter left, I can promise y'all some well deserved fluff ahead! Thank you guys so much for sticking with me so far!😆


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the rescue

Lance woke up slowly, taking inventory of how he felt. He was still sleepy, but his body no longer ached. He could feel his bond with Keith humming peacefully, like Keith was still asleep. Lance inched his eyes open, just as the pod cover shimmered away. He toppled forward.

"Gotcha!" Hunk said, catching his best friend. Lance groaned.

"Hey, buddy," he said sleepily. Hunk helped him over to a cot nearby.

"Glad to see you feeling better," Hunk said. Lance laid on the cot.

"Still sleepy though," Lance pointed out, already drifting off again.

"Get some sleep then," Hunk said. "I'll wake you when Keith gets out. Lance nodded and fell asleep.

When Lance next opened his eyes, he was greeted with Hunk's smiling face.

"Buddy, get up," he said gently. Lance rubbed his eyes, sitting up.

"How long was I out?" he asked.

"Almost the whole day," Hunk said. "Worried you would sleep the day away and not eat!" He then handed Lance a bowl of food goo.

"From the castle?" Lance asked, taking the bowl.

"Yeah," he said. Since it didn't look like you or Keith ate much, I figured this would be easier on your stomach." Lance nodded gratefully, digging in.

"Is Keith out yet?" he asked in between a bite. Hunk shook his head.

"Not yet," he said. "But it should be soon. Maybe in another hour or so?" Lance set the bowl aside, focusing on his bond.

"He's probably only got a few minutes actually," Lance said. Hunk gave him a confused looked. "Bond."

"Right," Hunk said. "Forgot about that. What's it like?"

"Well," Lance started. "It's sort of hard to explain. It's like telepathy, but I can only read his emotions and pain and stuff like that."

"So how is he now?" Hunk asked.

"Like I said," Lance turned to look at Keith's pod. "He'll be out in a minute. He's pretty tired and hungry too, but what kept him in there so long was the pain they put him through. I just got the backlash of it."

"That's horrible," Hunk said. Lance nodded. Suddenly, he stood and stretched his arms up, cracking his shoulders and back.

"Okay!" he said. "Keith's ready." He walked over to the pod, just as the thing beeped and the cover shimmered away. Keith fell into Lance's waiting arms.

"Lance?" Keith blinked up at him.

"Hey Samurai," Lance said. He pulled Keith into a gentle hug, the other boy melting against him.

"We're okay," he said. "I wasn't dreaming."

"We're okay," Lance said. Hunk let them be. He left the room quietly, so as not to startle his friends. Lance helped Keith over to the cot, sitting next to him.

"What now?" Keith asked. Lance handed over his half-finished food goo.

"Now, you eat this, get some sleep and then we'll figure out the rest later," Lance said. Keith took the bowl.

"You'll stay here," Keith said. "Right?" Lance smiled and kissed his forehead.

"Always."

*****

It had been a few days since Keith and Lance had been rescued. Kaaliee insisted they stay until they had recovered their strength.

"I cannot apologize enough," she said, candy-colored eyes brimming with tears. "My offer for you to stay is the only thing I can think of to right this."

"Kaaliee," Lance said. "Please don't blame yourself." The priestess nodded, giving Lance a small smile. Lance brushed away a stray tear.

"Thank you," she said. She walked off. Lance turned around himself, intent on finding Keith.

"Keith?" he called out. Lance could sense he was napping, but not quite sure where. He checked the boy's room first. Sure enough, he found him. But something seemed off.

"No," Keith moaned in his sleep. "Hurts."

"Keith?" Lance said softly. Keith's brow furrowed and he squirmed in his sleep.

"Stop!" he said. Lance place a hand on his arm.

"Keith!" he said louder. Keith's eyes flew open and he screamed, sitting up.

"AHHH!" he yelled. Lance rushed around so Keith could see him.

"Keith, it's me!" he said. "You had a nightmare!" Keith's breathing turned to a pant and he wrapped his arms around himself, rubbing his hands up and down.

"L-Lance?" he said shakily. Lance nodded.

"Right here," he said. "Shhh, it's okay." He carefully placed his hands on Keith's shoulders.

"T-The pain," Keith said, shivering slightly. "Like f-fire…..fire in m-my veins." Lance frowned, knowing exactly what the nightmare had been about.

"You're safe," he said. "I'm here." He coaxed Keith into leaning against him, softly taking over rubbing his arms. They stayed that way until Keith's breathing evened out.

"Lance?" Keith said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Don't leave."

"Never."

*****

About two days after Lance had dealt with Keith's nightmares (many more had happened since and Lance felt guilty about not helping before) and Kaaliee asked them to the throne room.

"We've captured the….kidnappers, Faaren and Heerto," she said. King Mannoned waved a hand at some guards.

"If you do not wish to see them, we understand," the King said. Lance glanced at Keith.

"You ready for this, love?" Lance asked. He had picked up a few nicknames for Keith the past couple of days. Keith didn't seem to mind.

"I'm ready," Keith said. Lance nodded at King Mannoned. The doors to their right opened.

"The criminals, Faaren and Heerto," the guard said. Heerto looked murderous, while Faaren sported a broken arm.

"Glad to see you're alive," Keith said to Faaren, but there was no real kindness in his voice. Faaren said nothing.

"You left him for dead!" Heerto snarled.

"Enough," Kaaliee said icily. "It is time to face judgement."

"What judgement is that?" Lance asked, curious.

"Normally, we say 'an eye for an eye' with the lesser crimes, like theft," King Mannoned said. "But for a case like this, that's far too cruel a punishment."

"And it seems like banishment didn't work," Kaaliee added. "Therefore, their punishment will be to work in the castle as servants, where they will have quite restricted access and extreme surveillance." Both Faaren and Heerto blinked at her.

"That's it?" Keith said.

"Keith," Lance warned.

"Would you like to add anything else?" King Mannoned asked. "It is within your right."

"Keith, there's nothing I want more than to see these two suffer," Lance said. "But we are Paladins of Voltron. Leave the punishment as it is." Keith shook his head.

"We could have died," Keith said. "While I agree with you, I need them to suffer one last thing before I'm satisfied." He turned to the King.

"Keep them isolated for two weeks," Keith said. "It's nothing compared to what they did to us, but being apart from Lance was the worst for me. I can tell they are close. So isolate them." The King nodded.

"Very well," he said. The guards that brought Faaren and Heerto in led them away. Suddenly, Faaren spoke.

"Bonds truly are amazing," he said. "And bonds are not amazing. They are a mystery. One I will someday solve." With that, the doors closed. Kaaliee huffed.

"Nuisances," she said. She turned back to Lance and Keith. "I know that you are leaving soon. So this is farewell."

"Our time here has been great," Lance said. "Minus the kidnapping and torture." Kaaliee smiled at that.

"Well, I'm glad that was the only thing that went south," she said.

"Please know that Voltron is always welcome on Tyranny," King Mannoned said.

"Thank you," Keith said. The boys left.

"I don't know about you," Lance said as they walked down the hall. "But I think we should snuggle in my room."

"Sounds like a plan," Keith said. Lance wrapped an arm around Keith's waist.

"Maybe you'll be able to nap," he said. "I know the nightmares will always be there, but I hope I make it better."

"You do," Keith said, leaning into Lance. "They are horrible and scary but knowing you are there when I wake up is a blessing." Lance pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"I love you," Lance said. Keith smiled and looked up at his soulmate.

"I love you too," he said. They stopped, Lance pulling Keith into a passionate kiss.

"Gross," Pidge said, walking up behind them. The two pulled apart.

"Deal with it, Pidgey," Lance said. She simply made a face. Hunk, Shiro and Allura came walking up then.

"Ready to go?" Allura asked.

"More than ready," Keith said, earning a laugh from the others. Together, they walked back to the castle, Keith and Lance hand in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END.
> 
> Thank you all for joining me on this great journey! I'll admit, this was one of my favorite fics to write and I really didn't expect it to take off the way it did! 😆
> 
> Perhaps I will write a sequel in the future.😏 Not right now though, I've got other ideas that need to be written!😁
> 
> Let me know what you thought of the fic, I always love hearing what you guys have to say. And thank you again for reading!💕

**Author's Note:**

> This story is gonna be a ride, let me tell you. I can SMELL the pine trees from Keith and Lance.😂
> 
> (I changed the rating because there will be some LIGHT Dom/Sub undertones. Nothing graphic, but mainly just for clarity's sake.)


End file.
